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Although many health and safety (H&S) studies have widely examined safety risk perception in the construction industry, few studies have explored how this perception influences site workers' risk-taking behaviours during construction. This study aims to examine how construction site workers perceive and judge safety risks in risk-taking behaviours of site workers for intervention safety policy framework that may encourage safe work.

The study employed Pictorial-based Q-Methodology, which documented 63 picture scenarios of risk-taking behaviours from building sites and submitted them for validation from H&S inspectors. In total, 33 pictures emerged as having great potential to cause harm. After using these 33 pictures to elicit data from randomised site workers, the study used Frequency Tabulation, Relative Importance Index (RII) and Kruskal–Wallis Test to analyse the collected data. To fully explain the analysed data for deeper understanding, the study conducted Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with these site workers to share the thoughts of site workers on these pictures.

Two distinctive pictures emerged from these analyses: one showing risk-taking behaviour likely to contract internal and skin disease and the other likely to fall from height. One of the implications is that construction site workers are unfamiliar with the dangerous contaminants in the materials the site workers use to work, which can potentially harm the site workers' skin and internal organs. Hence, site workers continue engaging in risk-taking behaviours. The other is that site workers are aware of and can mention catastrophic physical injuries attached to site workers' jobs. However, site workers continue engaging in risk-taking behaviours because of site workers' safety plights and rely on the favour and mercies of a supreme being as coping strategies to escape from these physical injuries.

This study is original in that the study uses picture scenarios of risk-taking behaviours to amass an empirical-based understanding of how site workers perceive and respond to H&S risks during construction. This piece of evidence is missing in the numerous research studies in this area. Again, the findings contribute to the state-of-the-art literature regarding risk-taking behaviours on construction sites.

Design for safety (DfS), also known as prevention through design (PtD), is a concept that mitigates accidents and hazards through considerations during the design stage of building projects. The literature provides much information on this concept, but such information is only limited to a few developed countries such as the UK, the USA and Australia. There is limited insight into DfS implementation in the construction industry of several countries, including countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) such as Kuwait. Therefore, this study investigates DfS implementation among design professionals in the Kuwait construction industry.

The study used a questionnaire survey to obtain data from design professionals. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics (i.e. analysis of variance and t-test).

The results revealed that DfS awareness among design professionals is very high; there is a very high willingness among design professionals to apply the concept, and design professionals generally view DfS implementation as important. Despite these, the frequency of implementation of DfS practices is generally moderate. In addition, the results revealed that though there is a high interest in DfS training among the design professionals, their actual engagement in training is low. The results also suggest some association between the frequency of engagement in the DfS practices and designers' DfS awareness, training and education. DfS related regulations, industry guidance, formal education and training are considered by design professionals to have the greatest influence on DfS implementation in Kuwait.

These emerging findings both mirror and contradict aspects of the outcomes of previous DfS studies in other countries. Furthermore, the findings from this study provide insights into a less investigated area regarding work-related health and safety in the GCC region. It offers new and additional information and insights into the current state-of-the-art DfS implementation in the construction industry in Kuwait. In view of the findings, joined-up efforts by government, industry and academia are needed to enhance DfS implementation by design professionals in Kuwait.

Ghana has recently reviewed its renewable energy Act 835 with an objective of providing 10% of its energy from renewables by 2020 (Ackah and Asomani, 2015). Meanwhile, solar Photovoltaic (PV) accounts for less than 2% of the energy mix (Energy Commission, 2018). In combating environmental issues such as climate change and meeting these policy targets, there is the urgent need to increase investment into the renewable sector. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impeding constraints to photovoltaic investment in Ghana.

The Literature evaluation was carried out of critical constraints surrounding PV investments. Questionnaire was developed and administered online using Google form. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the features of each constraint. In addition, inferential analysis using relative importance index was used to rank these indicators. Again, one sample t-test was used to test the significance of the indicator. Multiple indicators were used to measure the latent constructs. Finally, independent test of mean equity was used to test relationship between the working experiences of despondence who have worked with solar PV below five years and those who worked from five years to ten years.

The research has highlights high installation and maintenance costs, lack of access to long-term capital finance, access to affordable consumer finance and lack of support to research and development as the major investment obstacles to solar PV investment in Ghana.

It is recommended that the Government of Ghana should provide incentives such as tax waivers, which will encourage entrepreneurs, invest into PV. In addition, it is recommended that solar PV companies must collaborate with financial institutions to provide low interest and flexible consumer financing schemed that can enable home users to purchase the technology. Future research should complement this work by focusing on the impact of domestic currency volatility on PV investment. The scope of this study is constrained to the PV industry in Ghana.

This study will serve as a guide to the private sector business owners to help make critical PV investment decisions. It has also brought to the forefront the reason why solar PV account for a small fraction of Ghana’s energy mix.

This paper seeks to espouse the prevailing constraints to PV investment in Ghana and seeks to contribute to already existing literature that will make profound changes in state policy around PV investment. By understanding these difficulties, driving pointers can be recognized to encourage effective future venture inside the sustainable power source area. In this way, the research leads to a better understanding of the impeding factors that hinders PV investment in Ghana. Again, the paper has achieved new discovery with regards to variations between years of experience with PV use. The variation being less than five years with over five years of PV use. By understanding these difficulties, driving pointers can be recognized to invigorate effective future ventures.